Your's (uh, example) looks just like mine.
Basically a Gen 2.5 innerds. (The swimming pool pan is the tell tale.)
I did a single Salmon smoke in mine, then corrected everything I felt I needed to to make it work for me.
I put a stack on mine so it will help draw the smoke and moisture out. I got started by noticing Al had a can on his vent.
But mine grew into a section of 3" single wall, snap-lock pipe.
The chip feeder system could not perform at my cold and warm temperatures I like to smoke at. It took me a while, but
I found an old steel case I converted into a "mailbox Mod".
I connected that with 8 feet of corrugated Aluminum dryer vent tubing, and a 3" adjustable elbow.
I removed the entire chip feeder/chip pan fabrication. My chip pan was a good 1/4" above the element, and that gap kept it from being able to heat the chips to combustion when the element was on. 3 screws outside the chip feeder, and 1 (IIRC) on the back inside wall. Nothing but the element in there now, and the water pan for heat distribution.
All of the smoke comes from the mod via the aluminum tube around the back of the smoker. It corrects the heat and smoke problem of the as-is design. It allows the control to run the element, and the mod box to supply a steady stream of smoke.
I have certain needs for cold smoking, less than 100 degrees. So I needed a way to control the element in the ambient to 100° range. But the Auber solution was a bit to pricey for me. I found something that gave me a 2 for one I can use for doing Sous Vide with an older analog crock pot, or,
with a bypass modification, the same Inkbird Control can run my smokers element in the low range, or up to 210° in the warm smoking range. (Where I do most of my fish/salmon smoking.) So it gives me a +/- 1 degree control from ambient to 210°.
Flip a switch and the bypass is off and the smoker functions as original.
Finally,
I got one of the AMNPS trays to burn pelleted wood in my mod box and that was the perfection to my new smoker.
I also removed the damper in the smoke outlet, and installed it on the door to my mod box. I cut the pattern into the mod box so I could adjust the air intake. But I just run it wide open.
All of that makes my smoker do everything I wanted. But I knew going in there would be many changes. It was expected.
While this is my first "store bought" smoker, it has 50 years of me smoking with electric smokers behind it. All home built.
I like mine, and I like it a whole lot better after personalizing it.
If you do decide to get an Auber PID, they can be programmed to do steps in a smoking session. Like where Bear's method calls for stepping up the temperature for salmon smoking, an Auber control could do that Automatically, without timing and watching it, or manually stepping up the temperature with the controller on top.
Enjoy your new smoker, and any, or no, modifications you choose. ;):)
